** Official 2014 Philadelphia Eagles Thread ** (1 Viewer)

[Insein]

Took Cody Parkey in my draft last night!

 

[Billy Bats]

Only three RBs? Surprising.

 

[Deamon]

Took Cody Parkey in my draft last night!

haha I figured you were going to take him in the 1st round!

RIP Henery.

 

[JetMaxx]

Only three RBs? Surprising.

With one of whom that didn't play in the preseason? Definitely. I'd also like to know about Huff as we haven't gotten much about his injury and saw little to nothing at WR from him. Shayne Skov as a replacement for Long?

 

[JetMaxx]

Does Parkey stick? We don't do a waiver wire, just a couple supplemental drafts through the year and while I'd love to pick him tomorrow, I don't want to be burned by a PK gone in 2 weeks.

 

[Insein]

Does Parkey stick? We don't do a waiver wire, just a couple supplemental drafts through the year and while I'd love to pick him tomorrow, I don't want to be burned by a PK gone in 2 weeks.

If you can't get another kicker as soon as next week, I wouldn't risk it. I can get another kicker at the drop of a hat so I'll ride with him for a bit.

 

[renesauz]

Only three RBs? Surprising.

With one of whom that didn't play in the preseason? Definitely. I'd also like to know about Huff as we haven't gotten much about his injury and saw little to nothing at WR from him. Shayne Skov as a replacement for Long?

Thought I read that his injury was realitvely mild- only a couple weeks

 

[scratcher]

Does Parkey stick? We don't do a waiver wire, just a couple supplemental drafts through the year and while I'd love to pick him tomorrow, I don't want to be burned by a PK gone in 2 weeks.

Either Prater or McManus (likely McManus) will be available after week 4.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Only three RBs? Surprising.

With one of whom that didn't play in the preseason? Definitely. I'd also like to know about Huff as we haven't gotten much about his injury and saw little to nothing at WR from him. Shayne Skov as a replacement for Long?

Thought I read that his injury was realitvely mild- only a couple weeks

Looking online, Huff claimed he would be ready to play tomorrow if he had to, so I guess he is healing up.

 

[jon007]

Any chance we bring in Champ Bailey?

 

[Billy Bats]

Only three RBs? Surprising.

With one of whom that didn't play in the preseason? Definitely. I'd also like to know about Huff as we haven't gotten much about his injury and saw little to nothing at WR from him. Shayne Skov as a replacement for Long?

Both Tucker and Josey looked good (system?), like you said with Polk's injury and not practicing I'm real surprised they're counting on him as the only go to backup. I know Josey had problems supposedly in pass pro, but with Polk I thought for sure they would keep a 4th, if not cut Polk.

 

[need2know]

Any chance we bring in Champ Bailey?

hes done and cannot stay healthy. no chance

 

[Billy Bats]

Philadelphia Eagles ‏@Eagles 1m

#Eagles agree to terms w/ 8 practice squad players: OL Josh Andrews, T Kevin Graf, DT Wade Keliikipi, S Ed Reynolds II, LB Emmanuel Acho, WR Will Murphy, WR Quron Pratt and RB Matthew Tucker.

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@Jeff_McLane: #Eagles sign WR Teddy Williams to the practice squad, according to his agent, @davidcanter. Only one more spot to fill.

@GeoffMosherCSN: How intensely did the Eagles pursue Williams? Per source, they paid double the practice squad money to sign him. Negotiations took a while.

@Jeff_McLane: Teddy Williams is quite the athlete and could be looked at other positions. He's 6-3, 200 lbs and ran a 4.31 40-yd dash. #Eagles

 

[Ash]

Looking at Sunday

Can't wait for a real game finally. I had a quick look at the first half of the Jags PS Game 3 against the Lions to get a look at what we might see Sunday. Overall, I liked the way the defense played a lot. They're aggressive, they attack in the front 7, swarm to the ball and hit hard. They looked like a solid, well coached unit. Seeing that kind of attacking unit kind of made me a little thinking about the Jim Johnson days and the way we have our DL playing now.

The had success on D against the Lions in getting into the backfield vs the run and pressuring Stafford as well, but there was some vulnerabilities there as well due to that aggressive style. Bush had an 84yd TD run on a cutback play, the Lions also had success on bootleg and other misdirection type plays. The Jacksonville D is a good unit, but I think it's one that we match up well with, both personnel wise and in style of play, I can see some big plays for us on O based on those options and misdirections but I'm sure there will be a series or two where we go backwards as well.

Watching that I also had an epiphany I think on why Chip likes to run this 2 gap 3-4 style of defense. Like Andy, who picked JJ because he hated going against his units, I think Chip prefers going against an aggressive, attacking D than a a stay at home, read and react style that limits big plays. Not sure I'll ever agree, but I think Chip wants to run that D because that's the style that does the best job against his offense.

On offense the Jags are a lot less threatening, if I was going to be unkind I'd say they were a team built to stop the run and limit big plays on both sides of the ball. Toby Gerhardt is the RB and he's a versatile effort type player with limited talent. Chad Henne is a competent QB, but someone who's a good backup, weak starter type. He won't throw the game away and isn't turnover or sack prone but needs to nickel and dime down the field, Y/A and Y/C were both at the bottom of the league last year. Of course he's only warming the seat for Blake Bortles who has looked good this preseason, but that won't be our problem.

They don't have much in the way of passing weapons either. Their #2 and #3 WRs are rookies, Cecil Shorts and Marcedes Lewis are both solid players but not scary.

Overall I think this is a team we match up well against. Eagles win 24-13

 

[Insein]

Looking at Sunday

Can't wait for a real game finally. I had a quick look at the first half of the Jags PS Game 3 against the Lions to get a look at what we might see Sunday. Overall, I liked the way the defense played a lot. They're aggressive, they attack in the front 7, swarm to the ball and hit hard. They looked like a solid, well coached unit. Seeing that kind of attacking unit kind of made me a little thinking about the Jim Johnson days and the way we have our DL playing now.

The had success on D against the Lions in getting into the backfield vs the run and pressuring Stafford as well, but there was some vulnerabilities there as well due to that aggressive style. Bush had an 84yd TD run on a cutback play, the Lions also had success on bootleg and other misdirection type plays. The Jacksonville D is a good unit, but I think it's one that we match up well with, both personnel wise and in style of play, I can see some big plays for us on O based on those options and misdirections but I'm sure there will be a series or two where we go backwards as well.

Watching that I also had an epiphany I think on why Chip likes to run this 2 gap 3-4 style of defense. Like Andy, who picked JJ because he hated going against his units, I think Chip prefers going against an aggressive, attacking D than a a stay at home, read and react style that limits big plays. Not sure I'll ever agree, but I think Chip wants to run that D because that's the style that does the best job against his offense.

On offense the Jags are a lot less threatening, if I was going to be unkind I'd say they were a team built to stop the run and limit big plays on both sides of the ball. Toby Gerhardt is the RB and he's a versatile effort type player with limited talent. Chad Henne is a competent QB, but someone who's a good backup, weak starter type. He won't throw the game away and isn't turnover or sack prone but needs to nickel and dime down the field, Y/A and Y/C were both at the bottom of the league last year. Of course he's only warming the seat for Blake Bortles who has looked good this preseason, but that won't be our problem.

They don't have much in the way of passing weapons either. Their #2 and #3 WRs are rookies, Cecil Shorts and Marcedes Lewis are both solid players but not scary.

Overall I think this is a team we match up well against. Eagles win 24-13

Good analysis as usual, Ash.

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@GeoffMosherCSN: Gathering some info re: Teddy Williams. He was in Philly yesterday but apparently ruffled some feathers from the start. (Pardon the pun.)

So we did not sign him

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@EliotShorrParks: Billy Davis says Marcus Smith will have a "limited role" on Sunday. #Eagles

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

Nick Foles throwing receivers open

pretty good read with gifs

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@EliotShorrParks: Billy Davis points out how consistent Beau Allen is for a rookie. Says that has helped him jump up the depth chart #Eagles

@EliotShorrParks: Billy Davis is basically daring the Jaguars to run a no huddle. "You gotta be in great shape to do that. We practice against it everyday"

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@GeoffMosherCSN: Eagles complete practice squad with signing of Colton Underwood, spurning of Teddy Williams. More details here: http://t.co/xHKsxONq5N

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@GeoffMosherCSN: Eagles hit the Trey-fecta with rookie FA Burton, who can play TE, WR and RB. "I'm a different kind of player." Story: http://t.co/m0GgP9anQ2

 

[JaxBill]

Really good overview but this is the only thing I'd like to nitpick over.

Last year after JBlackmon's suspension, the Jags WR corps was pretty much bottom of the scrap heap especially when Shorts got dinged.

Mike Brown and Kerry Taylor each started multiple games for them.

Yeah, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, and Allen Hurd are rookies and aren't an imposing lineup, but they're a huge improvement over the WR from last year.

They don't have much in the way of passing weapons either. Their #2 and #3 WRs are rookies, Cecil Shorts and Marcedes Lewis are both solid players but not scary.

 

[JaxBill]

Anyway, I expect the Jags defense to keep them in the game for the first half before they tire in the second half and get blown out. Like 13-7 half turns into 34-17 final.

 

[Ash]

Really good overview but this is the only thing I'd like to nitpick over.

Last year after JBlackmon's suspension, the Jags WR corps was pretty much bottom of the scrap heap especially when Shorts got dinged.

Mike Brown and Kerry Taylor each started multiple games for them.

Yeah, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, and Allen Hurd are rookies and aren't an imposing lineup, but they're a huge improvement over the WR from last year.

They don't have much in the way of passing weapons either. Their #2 and #3 WRs are rookies, Cecil Shorts and Marcedes Lewis are both solid players but not scary.

In time, I don't doubt you're correct but I'm only worried about this week and unless one comes out of the gate like Anquan Boldin they'll need some time to bring their game together as pros. Even WRs who become stars after a couple of years don't usually blow up as rookies.

 

[Billy Bats]

Oh man, a whole lotta national types jumping on the wagon. First it was King with the home field throughout tweet, now a few more are agreeing and saying 12-4/Super Bowl stuff.

 

[Ash]

Anyway, I expect the Jags defense to keep them in the game for the first half before they tire in the second half and get blown out. Like 13-7 half turns into 34-17 final.

Pretty much how I read it as well, but I was impressed enough with the D that I don't think too many teams will drop 30 on them this year. If one of those rookie WRs takes off a bit and Bortles takes over mid season they look like a team that could have a 2nd half surge.

How do you think your OL looks? I only watched the Lions PS game and most teams struggle against that front 4.

 

[jon007]

Yeah I'm all in with the Eagles this year. Even placed a bet at Vegas. This team is something we have never seen before. Plus I believe everyone is buying into the program.

 

[Insein]

I still say 10-6 and an NFC championship loss. That's fine with me. Progress towards the goal.

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@ESPNdirocco: WR Cecil Shorts has hamstring tightness and was held back today. That's what he experienced on 1st day of camp and he missed almost a month.

 

[JaxBill]

Anyway, I expect the Jags defense to keep them in the game for the first half before they tire in the second half and get blown out. Like 13-7 half turns into 34-17 final.

Pretty much how I read it as well, but I was impressed enough with the D that I don't think too many teams will drop 30 on them this year. If one of those rookie WRs takes off a bit and Bortles takes over mid season they look like a team that could have a 2nd half surge.

How do you think your OL looks? I only watched the Lions PS game and most teams struggle against that front 4.

Center and right guard are a huge weakness. They have the rookie Linder out of Miami playing RG and looks OK but McClendon at C is a stopgap.

Joekel might see some growing pains still since his rookie season was cut short.

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@Jeff_McLane: Want to know what the #Eagles' work week is like under Chip Kelly? Here's my closer look at the sked for our preview: http://t.co/sR3H9HwKus

When the Eagles first learned of their workweek schedule under new coach Chip Kelly, there was a little confusion.

Kelly had an order to the week that he had honed at Oregon and wanted to bring to the NFL. But it meant going against the league norm and shuffling schedules for many veterans who had become accustomed to business as usual.

Mondays were like Tuesdays. Thursdays were like Fridays. And Saturdays and Fridays flip-flopped. But there were so many other changes that it took some time for players to adjust.

The most prominent and discussed was having practice on Tuesday, a day most teams give players off. But through Kelly and his staff's research they had concluded that having physical activity a day earlier following a game would lessen the recovery time and have greater long-term benefits.

"It took us a while to believe we could even do it last year," linebacker Connor Barwin said. "But I remember hitting a point in like Week 6 or 7 - 'Wow, I actually feel the best I've felt on a Tuesday in the last four years of my career.' "

Before introducing the plan, Kelly had asked assistant tight ends coach Justin Peele, who had just finished a 10-year career, if today's NFL player would buy into the program. And Peele's answer, Kelly recounted during an interview with Sirius radio in July, was:

"It doesn't really matter what the coach says, it's actually how do I [the player] feel? If Coach is going to tell me that I'm going to be fresh every Sunday and then I'm not fresh every Sunday then we're not going to listen to him."

By December last season, Kelly said, every veteran had said it was the best he had ever felt in the final month of the season. The results were there. The Eagles had arguably the healthiest team and had only six players miss 13 starts over the entire season because of injury. They won the NFC East.

Much has been made of Kelly's sports science program in how it relates to the physical part of game day preparation. But the Eagles, in their practices and meetings, have paid just as much attention to the mental aspect of football.

"I think that gives us an advantage because we're mentally prepared," linebacker DeMeco Ryans said. "Half of the game is being mentally ready for what you're going to see. I think physically if you couldn't do it you wouldn't be here. That's what separates it."

Thirty-five of the 53 players on the Eagles roster return from last season. They know what to expect, having gone through the season once with Kelly. The neophytes are expected to learn from the returnees.

Here is a closer look at the schedule they will repeat this season for at least 16 weeks:

MONDAY

Monday is, technically speaking, an off day for the players. Few, however, take the entire day off after a typical Sunday game.

Many show up at the NovaCare Complex - the Eagles' practice facility - to watch film, receive treatment for injuries, or use the pools for recovery. There isn't an unspoken expectation that players make an appearance, although Kelly does tend to gravitate toward gym rats.

"It's kind of just up to you. They don't really harp on it," center Jason Kelce said. "I think most guys just do it as a default."

Many teams require players to show up for work that day to watch film and make corrections. The Eagles under Andy Reid would have film review and then an on-field walk-through, although he would scrap the walkthrough as the season progressed. Physical activity was limited.

Barwin said that when he was with the Texans the players would jog after the walk-through to begin the process of expunging soreness from the body. Although the Eagles have masseuses on-hand at the NovaCare, Barwin and Ryans said they get massages on their own.

Cornerback Cary Williams, like Ryans, said that he takes advantage of the time away from the complex since they spend approximately 40 to 50 hours per week there.

"I usually don't come in because it's my day to get away," Williams said. "That doesn't mean I'm not working at home, mentally preparing for another week ahead of me, looking at film and getting a head start or critiquing the past game."

The emergence of iPads has made it possible for players to watch film from anywhere. While Kelce said the starting offensive linemen still gather on Mondays at the facility to analyze tape together, the replay is only a few touches away for all of the players.

"That's the beauty of having it. Sometimes there's a play that happened that you really want to see," Ryans said. "You kind of heard the explanation about what happened, but you really want to see for yourself.

"I typically don't get caught up in it too much because sometimes there are plays that are just going to make you get mad all over again."

TUESDAY

The biggest difference for the Eagles who played under Reid - and in most cases, elsewhere - comes on Tuesday.

It has long been NFL custom to give players off, but the Eagles joined the 49ers as one of the few teams to practice on Tuesday. The commonly held belief was that players were too sore to run two days after a game.

"I think coming in on Tuesday helps out in two different ways," guard Todd Herremans said. "A lot of guys probably don't make the best use of [the off day], so your soreness probably hangs on for another day rather than getting out here and running around.

"And I think the other thing is that you're able to put the game that you just played out of your head quicker."

For the next five days, players arrive between 8 and 8:30 a.m., when breakfast is being served in the cafeteria.

The first of two mandatory lifts is held in the morning. The defense lifts together as the offense meets and vice versa. Many teams don't have scheduled lifts. In Houston, under the previous regime, Barwin said, players were required to lift three times a week, but were free to choose when.

The Eagles do not break from their lift schedule all season.

"Some teams drop off by the end of the season," said Ryans, a Texan for his first six seasons. "But that's when you have to stay with it."

The rest of the day is spent either making corrections from the previous game or beginning installations for the next. Both corrections and installations occur in meetings and on the field.

Kelly said that he doesn't feel the need to review every play from the previous game.

"With the advent of all the technology they have, I guarantee every single one of our players has watched the game before they got back here on Tuesday," Kelly said during the Sirius interview. "They all have iPads. They all have the games downloaded to them."

After corrections, the Eagles begin preparations for the coming opponent. They install basics such as formations and personnel groupings on both sides of the ball. Kelce and the offensive line, for instance, begin work on blitz pickups and blocking assignments.

The Eagles practice in shells, not pads, and the pace is brisk, not up-tempo. After a practice that lasts around 90 minutes, the locker room is open to reporters for 45 minutes - as it also is on Wednesdays and Thursdays - as players shower and get dressed for another round of meetings.

The length of the day is fluid, but it is generally shorter than the next two and players are home by dinner.

WEDNESDAY

By Wednesday, the Eagles have moved on from the previous game and are continuing their installations, most of them dedicated to base personnel. They're inserting run plays on offense and getting looks from the scout team on defense.

They have their first padded practice and it lasts for approximately two hours.

"Wednesday's probably the toughest day," Kelce said.

The body, in theory, has fully recovered. As the season drags on, though, the pads are replaced by shells. Meetings - full team, offense, defense, special teams, positional - are held throughout the day. The Eagles' meetings are shorter and more efficient than most, veterans of other teams said.

"They're not long where guys lose their attention," Ryans said. "You hit it quick and get out to the next one."

Many of the players say they prefer the quick classes, but a few, like Williams, said that there was a learning curve.

"It's an adjustment, especially when you're going over details. It can be a difference," Williams said. "It's up to us to be a professional when we go outside the meeting rooms and do extra studies."

THURSDAY

The Eagles are mostly focusing their installations on passing downs by Thursday. They practice third down, red zone and install blitz packages, unlike many teams that wait until Friday. Shells become the norm for most of the season.

Thursday is also the second scheduled lift. Like Kelly's practices and meetings, the lift sessions are fast-paced and designed to simulate game action.

"You have to be kind of, 'This is what we've got to get accomplished. Here's our opportunity. We've got to go,' " Kelly said in June. "The game of football is four- to six-second bursts. Not everything we do in the weight room [is] always just four- to six-second bursts . . . but we're trying to create an environment where we have a chance to be successful on Sundays.

"There's different ways to train in the weight room, obviously. But we're not training for a weight-lifting competition. We're not training to body-build. We're training to play football."

Over the course of a day, players get about an hour of free time to eat lunch, socialize or do whatever. The Eagles have Axon Sports touch screens set up in various rooms for the players to get simulated practice repetitions whenever convenient.

The coaches encourage use, but it's not a requirement. Williams said that he uses the touch screens occasionally, but that he prefers film study of receivers he will face because an "animated guy doesn't run like Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green."

"I usually just spend more free time in the cafeteria talking, laughing, joking," Williams said. "You still want to have fun here. It's not all business 24-7. When you get that leisure time it's time for you to relax."

FRIDAY

The Eagles have their game walk-through on Friday, a day before most teams. Kelly's walk-throughs are different from most because they're longer - around 100 minutes compared with 60 - and they're extensive.

"Ours is very detailed. It takes the physical part out of it," Ryans said. "Mentally, it's a tough day for us because you're thrown into every situation that you could possibly get in a game and you're getting all of that in one practice."

The players on each side of the ball have the game plans and in meetings run through the plays or situations that will likely encounter. For Williams and Ryans, it is their favorite day of the work week.

"Friday I have more time on my own to really do some studying," said Ryans, who calls the plays on defense. "I have the game plan. The coaches have shown us what to expect. It's when I really get to dive in and look at it again even though I've seen it all week. It's like confirmation."

After the walk-through, the Eagles - players and coaches - have a tradition of jumping into the ice pool. One of the traditions under Reid was "Fast Food Fridays," although the meals were prepared on site.

"I called it 'Fat Guy Fridays,' " Kelce said. "We still have good food on Fridays. It might not be on the scale it was with Andy."

The day is a relatively short one and the players are typically out by midafternoon.

SATURDAY

Saturday's schedule depends on whether the Eagles are traveling or not, but there is always a practice that involves running while most teams are walking.

"Just our research through science that you need to get the body moving if you're going to be playing," Kelly said on Sirius when asked for an explanation. "We used the same formula when I was at Oregon."

Defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro, who followed Kelly from Oregon, said that "from a scientific standpoint it's not a unique system." He added: "Olympic athletes have been doing it for 100 years."

But is it unique to football?

"If you go back as far as [former Cowboys defensive lineman] Randy White at Maryland, he used to bench- press the day of the game," Azzinaro said. "I think a lot of people that understand central nervous system readiness understand the procedures to get ready.

"I'm not sure that there's a lot of people that are willing to take the risk to do what's right. As far as what science has shown us, there's only one way to do it."

For home games, practice typically ends around 1 or 2 p.m. Buses for the hotel where the team will stay the night before depart at 5 p.m. The Eagles stayed at the Airport Marriott for years, and did so in Kelly's first year, but they stayed at the downtown Westin this preseason.

When they get to the hotel, after check-in, there are more meetings.

"It's just an opportunity to hit everything one more time before the game," Ryans said.

SUNDAY

The Eagles eat together in the morning before 1 p.m. games, and two groups of buses are staggered to arrive at the stadium two to three hours before kickoff.

The meetings are over and there aren't "two-hour pep talks," as Kelly said in June. The players, who have their own pregame routines before warm-ups, know what is expected of them.

For Kelly, who had meticulously planned the week of preparation, there's only "a whole lot of waiting around" until the bell rings.

"Especially when you have to play later during the day," he said, "it's even more waiting around."

 

[Bigboy10182000]

@Jeff_McLane: The problem with understanding the Chip Kelly offense, @bobfordsports writes, is that there is no Chip Kelly offense: http://t.co/3BF1avDvhn

The problem with understanding the Chip Kelly offense is that there is no Chip Kelly offense.


This is a head coach who is difficult to stuff inside a well-defined box, and the same goes for whatever schemes his offensive team happens to use in a given series or game or season. Heaven knows, people have tried since Kelly left Oregon to join the Eagles. There have been lots of labels - zone-read, read-option, hurry-up, quick-strike - but the labels just don't stick.

"We run the See Coast offense," Kelly said last season. "If we see something and we like it and we think it fits, we're going to run it."

If there is genius to what Kelly does, it isn't that he has devised one way of playing, but that he has constructed a system that can be played many ways. There were games last season in which the Eagles were a power running team, games in which they were a running team that attacked the edges, games in which they passed to the backs and tight ends, games in which they featured the wide receivers.


The Eagles have been built to be able to run the ball at least as well as they can pass it, and to strive for balance in the offense. Not only is that a change from the previous head coach, but it is out of line with the pass-happy NFL. It is just one of the ways that Kelly represents a dichotomy between perception and reality. Here's the new-age coach of high-production offenses - in both college and the pros - a proponent of no-huddle, up-tempo attack, and his play-calling ratio is among the most conservative in the NFL.

What becomes clear as you study what the Eagles did last season is that the plan for a given game depends on what the Eagles can do, but also an awful lot on what the opponent can't do. The balance Kelly seeks allows the offense to take different paths to success, and, against some teams, that path is a lot shorter in one direction.

"I think you probably have something there," offensive-line coach Jeff Stoutland said. "We study and decide what we would like to exploit from the defensive standpoint. There are some things we will do every week. Those are building blocks, but then there are a number of different neat things you can branch off and do, and there are a million varieties, so it's very versatile."

Being able to run the ball is a key, and Kelly was blessed in his rookie season to have Shady McCoy and a consistent, solid, run-blocking offensive line. While the rest of the league got only 30 percent of its first downs rushing, the Eagles got nearly 40 percent of theirs on the ground.

"We believe strongly in certain concepts - we want to be a physical team, want to play as fast as possible and be in the defense's face consistently," quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said. "We want to be that each and every day regardless of the opponent, but then the system is customized to exploit certain defense's weak spots."

The Eagles offense pivoted neatly from one emphasis to another last season, depending on the opportunities presented by the opposition and the day. Against a Minnesota defense that defended the run far better than the pass, the Eagles came out throwing. Against a Chicago team that was ranked last in the league against the run, the Eagles delivered a balanced offense from the start. On a day when it was a good idea to keep the other offense off the field, the Eagles ran 25 times and threw 16 times in the first half against Denver. And on a day when, say, a blizzard took place, the Eagles had the versatility to trash a game plan that targeted the porous Lions secondary and run the ball on 46 of their 68 plays.

"Our system is a little more multiple [than most] as a system. There are matchups that change every week," wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell said. "You have your base plays and pick out the base plays that really fit what that defense gives you. That's the best thing. Then, you adjust starting with the first play. 'If this is what they're doing, then what about that?' That's the real genius of who [Kelly] is."

The real genius is also that he isn't any one thing as a coach. He's a running coach, a passing coach, a hurry-up coach, and a clock manager, too. At least that's the idea, achieving that Zen-like harmony and balance. While the rest of the league averaged 38 pass plays and 27 runs last season, the Eagles averaged 34 pass plays and 31 runs. Some of that was dictated by their 10 wins, which meant they had the lead more often than not, but a lot of that evened out. There were six games in which they led by eight or more points at the half, and five games in which they trailed by eight or more points at the half, so it wasn't as if the games always dictated a disproportionate number of running plays.

That's the real problem for the opponent - knowing what to expect. It's a challenge against a team that can do most things pretty well.

"Everybody's got a bunch of plays they run," Kelly said. "Everybody's got screens, everybody's got drop-back, everybody's got out-of-pocket, power, counter, inside zone. I never looked at it as an offense."

It isn't an offense. It is many offenses. The trick is having them all work.

 

[ShaHBucks]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

 

[Bigboy10182000]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

Was that the guy who didnt start, missed like 4 tackles and dropped a pick?

 

[ShaHBucks]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

Was that the guy who didnt start, missed like 4 tackles and dropped a pick?

Boy would he had gotten flamed by Philly fans and media for that game.

 

[Amused to Death]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

Was that the guy who didnt start, missed like 4 tackles and dropped a pick?

Boy would he had gotten flamed by Philly fans and media for that game.

I wonder how a place like GB reacts to a game like that. Do they even have serious sports talk radio? How critical are they of McCarthy or Rodgers this morning not to mention the horrendous defense. We know how Philly would react.

 

[Insein]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

Was that the guy who didnt start, missed like 4 tackles and dropped a pick?

Boy would he had gotten flamed by Philly fans and media for that game.

I wonder how a place like GB reacts to a game like that. Do they even have serious sports talk radio? How critical are they of McCarthy or Rodgers this morning not to mention the horrendous defense. We know how Philly would react.

"Our boys sure didn't play well gosh golly. But we know darn tootin they'll be working their tail feathers off this week."

 

[gchip]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

Was that the guy who didnt start, missed like 4 tackles and dropped a pick?

Boy would he had gotten flamed by Philly fans and media for that game.

I wonder how a place like GB reacts to a game like that. Do they even have serious sports talk radio? How critical are they of McCarthy or Rodgers this morning not to mention the horrendous defense. We know how Philly would react.

It's the Green Bay Packers. I think it's safe to assume they're an intense fanbase.

 

[fred_1_15301]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

Was that the guy who didnt start, missed like 4 tackles and dropped a pick?

Boy would he had gotten flamed by Philly fans and media for that game.

I wonder how a place like GB reacts to a game like that. Do they even have serious sports talk radio? How critical are they of McCarthy or Rodgers this morning not to mention the horrendous defense. We know how Philly would react.

I don't know if they would react like Philly but it's kind of odd to imply that GB is a weak fanbase. There are so many other cities that I would rank GB above in regards to their fanbase. Although I admit that I know nothing about their sports talk radio.

 

[Amused to Death]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

Was that the guy who didnt start, missed like 4 tackles and dropped a pick?

Boy would he had gotten flamed by Philly fans and media for that game.

I wonder how a place like GB reacts to a game like that. Do they even have serious sports talk radio? How critical are they of McCarthy or Rodgers this morning not to mention the horrendous defense. We know how Philly would react.

I don't know if they would react like Philly but it's kind of odd to imply that GB is a weak fanbase. There are so many other cities that I would rank GB above in regards to their fanbase. Although I admit that I know nothing about their sports talk radio.

Not implying the fanbase is weak at all. Just how do they react - are there radio stations with a panicked fanbase freaking out over their rookie safety not being able to tackle? Or how unprepared they looked to play? You say you know nothing about their talk radio - neither do I, so I was wondering kinda out loud. I know what it would be like in Philly, GB not so much.

 

[Billy Bats]

I wonder, is it better to have your first round pick look terrible in the national opener or be inactive week 1?

 

[Insein]

I wonder, is it better to have your first round pick look terrible in the national opener or be inactive week 1?

Well supposedly he wasn't inactive yet. But he's a late first rounder. Guys have a hard enough time playing well at the top of the draft. We know he's not getting much time early. If its the end of October and he's still inactive then we can worry.

 

[Bigboy10182000]

I wonder, is it better to have your first round pick look terrible in the national opener or be inactive week 1?

Depends on expectations I suppose. Dix was supposed to be a fix it all safety and someone we just had to have to save our secondary. On top of not starting he looked awful in his first game.

 

[fred_1_15301]

How did you guys like Ha Ha's performance lastnight?

Was that the guy who didnt start, missed like 4 tackles and dropped a pick?

Boy would he had gotten flamed by Philly fans and media for that game.

I wonder how a place like GB reacts to a game like that. Do they even have serious sports talk radio? How critical are they of McCarthy or Rodgers this morning not to mention the horrendous defense. We know how Philly would react.

I don't know if they would react like Philly but it's kind of odd to imply that GB is a weak fanbase. There are so many other cities that I would rank GB above in regards to their fanbase. Although I admit that I know nothing about their sports talk radio.

Not implying the fanbase is weak at all. Just how do they react - are there radio stations with a panicked fanbase freaking out over their rookie safety not being able to tackle? Or how unprepared they looked to play? You say you know nothing about their talk radio - neither do I, so I was wondering kinda out loud. I know what it would be like in Philly, GB not so much.

Ok gotcha. In that case, I agree.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I wonder, is it better to have your first round pick look terrible in the national opener or be inactive week 1?

fortunately, we have experience with this, so we'll know how to handle it either way . . .

 

[Billy Bats]

I wonder, is it better to have your first round pick look terrible in the national opener or be inactive week 1?

fortunately, we have experience with this, so we'll know how to handle it either way . . .

Good point. It was more of a rhetorical question and a reminder to myself to calm down if in fact Smith is inactive tomorrow.

 

[Ash]

Where should the sacks come from?

So it's no secret that the biggest hole on this team is pass rush production, the Eagles tied for last (with Dallas) in the league with a sack on 5.2% of pass plays. Over the last 3 years the league average is about 6.4%, the cutoff for Top 10 teams is around 7.0% but it varies year to year. The elite teams are usually around or over 8%

To progress to the point where they're able to consistently get off the field on 3rd down and successfully defend a lead I think they need to be at around 6.5% at least. Figuring the actual number of sacks that translates to becomes a bit circular because if the rush is better they'll face less plays by shortening drives, but using that percentage on a slight reduction from the 711 pass plays last year's D faced gives 44 sacks as a target number. To me that seems a reasonable as a significant improvement (from last year's 37) to shoot for without being a pie in the sky number.

I looked at some sack stats of the 90s Steelers and Panthers teams since that's were Davis' roots are, to get a sense of where those came from and in a mature version of that scheme, what to look for. Was interesting in that the OLBs contributed less of the sack numbers that I would have guessed. Looking at the Greene / Lloyd pairing, Lloyd only had double digit sacks once in his career. The DBs and DL actually had a marked impact, much more than I would have thought. There's been plenty of time for the scheme to have changed over the years, but if we were going to map that kind of production to this team, here's how it would look to hit a total of 44.

OLB - You'd probably be looking for 21 out of this group, so to get there might be something like Cole - 9, Barwin - 6, Graham - 4, Smith - 2. Barwin is only an OK pass rusher, he's just not explosive enough to be more than a 5-7 sack player which makes Cole the key to this group. If you're an optimist you'll say he took the first half of the year to figure out how to rush from a different position and got on track for the second half of the year and he should be set for another double digit sack year. If you're a pessimist you'll say that it's nuts to expect anything but further decline from a 32yo player who's numbers have been down the last 2 years. I think Davis needs to be proactive early in the year and if Cole isn't producing, get Graham on the field, particularly if they're playing with a lead. For all his limitations as a LB, he can still rush. Last year this group had 16 sacks.

ILB - This group actually pulled their weight with 9 sacks between them. 4 each from Ryans and Kendricks and 1 from Goode. Ryan's numbers will probably go down a little bit if he's off the field more on passing downs, but Kendricks will go up if he has the breakout year everyone is projecting. If they can hit 8, the ILBs are on target.

DL - This is where we need to see a big improvement. 10 sacks last year from this group, I think they need to get to 15. Cox had 3, Curry in limited playing time had 4, Logan 2 and Thornton 1. For this group to really do their job rush wise, Cox needs to be a 7-8 sack player. He has the ability, and going into his 3rd year those pressures need to turn into sacks. Curry needs to eat into Thornton's playing time, especially if they're defending a lead. Thornton excels against the run, but does very little as a rusher. If Cox can get 7, Logan/Allen 2, Curry 5 in a bigger role and Thornton matches last year's 1 then they get there.

DB - Cary Williams and Nate Allen had 1 each last year. Looking at when the Steelers D had it's best years, there was a group of DBs (Carnell Lake, Rod Woodson, Darren Perry and others) who would put up 7-8 sacks between them. On this team that would come from Jenkins (2.5 last year in NO), Nate Allen ( had 3 then 2 his first two years), Boykin and Nolan Carroll as either slot CBs or S. I get the impression Davis would prefer to keep coverage guys in coverage though so don't expect much from this group blitz wise.

Overall I'm not optimistic, too many things need to go in the Eagles favour for that number to improve much over last year. I think we'll see a D that will be marginally rather than significantly improved. I won't miss the Patrick Chung Effect, but not enough has been done for me, and I think the "2nd year in the system" mythology is more like wishful thinking than anything else, but I hope to be proven wrong.

Without a significant pass rush improvement I think we struggle to beat teams with good QBs, ie playoff teams. They talk about pressures and "moving the guy off the spot" but those things bother bad QBs not good ones. If you can't hit and sack the Manning/Brady/Rodgers of the world, they're smart and patient enough to just slice you apart a piece at a time. I think the progress (or lack of) on D will determine if/when the team takes the next step from top 12 team to top 5 team. I hope we see that this year, but I have to say I don't really expect it.

 

[Ash]

unless one comes out of the gate like Anquan Boldin they'll need some time to bring their game together as pros. Even WRs who become stars after a couple of years don't usually blow up as rookies.

My bad everyone. Very, very sorry.

 

[Insein]

Phew!